7 Fall Gardening Jobs That Will Make Your Life Easier

Prepping your garden beds now can help enrich and hydrate the soil, meaning you won't have as much work to do in the spring. Plus, the soil will be conditioned to encourage healthy spring plant growth.

Hydrate Soil Before the Weather Changes

Hydrate Soil Before the Weather Changes

Many regions suffered from drought conditions this summer, and the soil needs moisture before the winter. "Especially after periods of drought, plants shouldn't go into winter dehydrated," says Sally Cunningham, an author and certified nursery and landscape professional in New York state. "So be sure you have watered well—especially anything planted in the last three years—before they go dormant, which starts to happen as the temperature drops."

"Sometimes people forget to water as soon as the kids go back to school, and the new patch of coneflowers or the hydrangeas and junipers you bought in June really need their water."

However, be careful to not over-saturate plants so they're left in a constant pool of standing water, which can cause root damage. Water until the soil is damp but doesn't have pools of water on the surface. "[Watering] doesn't mean you should put them in a bog, as many plants die from wet feet—standing in water over the winter," she says. "Drainage is always important."

Apply Mulch

Apply Mulch

The region of the country where you live should determine when you apply mulch. Cunningham says for Zones 3 to 6, such as in the Northeast U.S., landscaping experts recommend mulching the garden bed (after it has been weeded) once the ground freezes. "If you mulch well before the freeze, rain and watering may not reach the plant roots, and the plants may not get around to going dormant, and some rodents and fungus diseases will also take up residence in the cozy covered-up areas around the plants," she says. "Once the top of the soil freezes, go for it."

But in warmer climates, mulching is more about blocking weeds and retaining soil moisture than preparing for winter, Cunningham says. "I don't think it's quite as critical when you mulch. Just be sure you don't bury the plant crowns. And never, ever, mound the mulch around tree trunks, volcano-style."